The Immortal Ones
by Dragontiger96
Summary: Legends of the past come into the present causing Tk to disappear. A dangerous plot unfolds and the rest of the Digidestined is drawn into conflict. Takari
1. Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

The Immortal Ones  
Ch. 1 _Reawakening_

_The Digital World in a thousand BC was littered with destruction. Great buildings that once stood for learning and meditating were left in crumbles with nothing except a few bricks where there once existed walls. The forests have disappeared only to be left with the screaming wake of devastation. In the midst of the ruins, the cries of men and Digimon filled the air. Large armies of unknown origin converged together in different parts of the world and left nothing but blood in its path. _

_Out on the field stood two men out of order. They, who fought most fiercely, lunged at each other with unparallel rage. The two men faced off in the center of the chaos. They each blasted light from one hand held a blade in the other. Then one had managed a blow, but only to have the other counter with an incapacitating attack on the right leg. Screaming in agony, the one desperately tried to stand and fight once more only to be knocked down and kicked unconscious; his last image was that of his lover crashing into the ground._

_Now the battle was over, commanders defeated, the dark warriors slowly retreated into the shadows. For decades to come there would be Digital Bounty Hunters to pick off the remains of the shattered army. However, the true leaders of the army of abominations were not among the scraps._

_In a forsaken realm of dust and darkness, twelve silhouettes stood by a green flame. Restrained by enchanted collars, they cried out in anger. _

_"Do it," ordered a figure in the shadow. Ten beings then pushed them into the flame and watched it surround the bounded creatures. A streaming ribbon of translucent colors started appearing at the entrance of the cave. Slowly the colors began to mix and solidify. The female let out one last scream in desperation. The crystallization had finished; they were imprisoned forever. Then ten figures turned away from the glowing crystal and disappeared in a flicker of light._

Millenniums passed since the War. The Digital World that now existed free from its horrid past. The Digi-destined had destroyed the Dark Forces in the Digital World. Now the realms were weakening as the balance of good and evil collapsed. As time continued, the crystal slowly lost its stability, and the ever-patient demons waited for the opportunity for revenge.

In the real world, many things have changed over the millenniums. Improved technology aided in the annihilation of foolish traditions and brought a new era of peace in the worlds. In Japan, the city of Odaiba, the Digi-destined children prepared to learn their next important lesson.

"Hey Kari," Davis said, "Whatcha doin'?" He leaned over the small isle that stood between them and stared some paper on which she was frantically scribbling. His eyes wandered from the paper and seemed to take an interest in the girl holding the pencil, then moved to the front of the classroom.

"I'm trying to figure out these math problems before the teacher gets here." Kari replied. She lifted up her calculator and flipped open the lid and began punching in arbitrary numbers in hopes that they would work. She drew in her eyebrows in some attempt to concentrate.

"Umm, Kari, I think it's a little late for that." Davis said staring up with wide eyes while hitting her shoulder to get her attention.

"Oww… why?" she asked as she rubbed her right shoulder, then she looked up and saw him staring at something up front. Turning her head rapidly, she noticed that the teacher was glaring at her. She mentally cursed the school for starting so early in the morning.

"Well Ms. Kamiya, seeing that you have already completed your homework, you can do problem #1- 23 for us on the board." He said. He walked up to his desk, grabbed the teacher's guide, and opened it up to the previous lesson. At that moment, Tk rushed in and mumbled something about a clock while panting to catch his breath. The teacher seemingly unfazed, continued to flip through his teacher's guide.

"Congratulations Mr. Takaishi, you also have the pleasure of showing us how to do #24-40 of yesterday's math homework on the board," said Mr. Kinmoto. Not surprised at the news, Tk dropped off his books at his desk next to Kari's, joined her up at the board and started working.

By the end of school, they both walked to the locker rooms together. "Boy," said Tk, "Mr. Kinmoto was mean today." He dug through his backpack to make sure his basketball jersey was there while juggling what appeared to be his after-school energy snack in his hands and mouth.

"Tell me about it. After doing the math homework, we had to show how triangle A was congruent to triangle C while using triangle B as a reference in three different methods." Kari said as they approached the gym.

Tk arrived home at about 6:00 PM, where he ate dinner with his mother then finished his homework. He went to bed a happy 16-year-old teenager whose only concern was getting into a good college.

"Tk wake up, you're having a nightmare." Patamon said. The small Digimon, and heard his partner panting and rolling about in his bed. He was worried about his friend; deciding it was a good idea, Patamon tried his special attack, "Boom Bub-"

"What!" Tk shouted, as he shot up into a sitting position, launching Patamon to the other side of the room. His head was covered in a cold sweat.

"You were having a nightmare." he answered while lying on a pile of dirty clothes. "What was it that scared you so bad?" The small Digimon floated to the back onto of the bed. His eyes narrowed somewhat as if he tried to crease non-existent eyebrows.

"Umm..." Tk said remembering the dream, "It was..." He paused, trying to recall the nightmare. His eyes shut automatically as he prepared his mind for the invading images.

_It was in the Digital World, except it wasn't bright and happy as Tk so fondly remembered it as; instead, it was this desert with no light. He stood on top of a small plateau that looked over what seemed to be hundreds of mountains and valleys. The mountains suddenly became like volcanoes and slowly oozed out dark liquid from unknown pores, filling up surrounding fissures. _

_Off in the distance he noticed two figures that seemed to cast a shadow over the Digital World. In an instant, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Tk yelped in surprise at the sudden contact and swooped around to look at what had touched him. He was greeted by the sadistic smiles of the most powerful enemies that the Digital World ever had. None of them spoke a word, but the man gestured for Tk to watch. He lifted up his finger and placed it on the ground, which then started to turn black. The darkness spread like a plague on the soil and killed all living things that touched it. Once it was done with the Digital World, it moved on to the real one as well. _

Tk forced open his eyes, and focused on a pile of dirty clothes, avoiding the emerging thought in his head. However, Patamon ruined the moment of serenity.

"This can't be a good thing; we have to go," the small Digimon blurted out. He flew up into the air, approached the computer, and turned it on with his little paw. As the computer booted up with clicking and buzzing, Tk rummaged through his closet, searching for some hidden treasure. At last, he emerged from his closet with a metallic wristband that had a golden colored jewel embedded on top. When Tk put the wristband on, his pajamas transformed into a gold and silver tunic. He then took out his D-2 and held it up to the computer. He disappeared with a flash of blue light.

The next morning, in the sun-filled tenth-grade math class, students sat on their desk. Each of them was goofing off in their own way, as a strange awkward looking man wearing the-for the lack of a better word- geekiest glasses on the face of the Earth, walked in; all the students took their seats leaving the one next to Kari empty. The skinny blond man hesitantly moved towards the front podium in a way that seemed to accentuate his unnaturally thin neck. His bony fingers had decided upon itself to fumble with some papers in his hand while the stranger stared at the students.

"G..g…good m.mm..morning students," he sputtered out with a thick western accent, "I, um, I am Mr. Luigi, your s..s..substitute for today." He rushed through 'for today' like a dog bit him in the ass. Many of the students theorized that it was because he was obviously not from Japan, but none the less listened for fear of cruel and unusual punishments from the teacher upon his return.

"R..rr.roll cc….all," yelled out the inexperienced substitute teacher. He managed gain enough control of his unusual twitching fingers and pulled out what appeared to be the attendance sheet. Then he

"Eguchi Hiroshi" He said without stuttering. Surprisingly enough, it seemed that the teacher was more comfortable burying his head into the small paper, which had the names than looking at the students.

"Here."

"Inaba Tatsuko"

"Here." He rambled on for some time getting the short response of "here" after every name.

"Shimoyama Osamu"

"Here"

"Takaishi, Tk" silence followed.

"Oh, d... dear, maybe he can't hear m... m…me" said Mr. Luigi, "Takaishi, Takeru."

"He's not here today," said Kari.

"V-very well then," The substitute said. "Now m..moving on, Gosenkugi, Sresunke"

"Where do you think Tk is today Kari?" asked Davis. He seemed worried, knowing Tk would never willingly miss class, but refused to acknowledge his concern out of stubbornness.

"I don't know, but I'm going over to his house today to find out," said Kari.

In the Digital World, Tk and Patamon arrived at a remote location in the middle of a forest. Tk then pushed a hidden button on a tree and was immediately transported with Patamon into a large cave with crystalline walls. At that moment, a tall intimidating man with long black hair approached them.

"What took you so long Takeru?" He said.

"It's nice to see you too, Hiromitsu." said Tk. He spoke to the tall young man with light brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He wore a dirt brown silk shirt with some stitching of large mountains and incredible cliffs. The man walked around with an aura of indifference yet the ever-reserved Hiromitsu felt a twinge of relief when his friend had returned from the Human world.

"Hi Karumon," said Patamon to the man's Digital partner as he flapped around in the air, "where is everyone?" Patamon landed in front of a medium sized Digital monster with a metallic shell, three horns, and walked on all fours. The small Digimon jumped on top of Patamon, until the creature would admit that he was a 'piggy'.

"There all in the meeting room." Hiromitsu answered for Karumon as both humans watched their partners play.

They strolled into the meeting room which was a large open space surrounded by rock. In the middle sat a large table with twelve chairs surrounding it. The table itself had intricate carvings of an ancient language that had been lost to time. Upon the walls were twelve crests.

Seven chairs had already been filled. Digimon were sitting in the laps of their partners. Those who couldn't fit in the laps stood behind the chair. Tk sat in the chair with the crest of hope and Patamon sat on his lap. Hiromitsu took a seat in the chair with the crest of friendship. Karumon decided the table was more comfortable than Hiromitsu's lap. The only chair left was the one with the crest of light.

"Very well, now that Takeru has arrived, we may begin," said the woman of love. Oddly, she was wearing bright blue pajamas covered in little bears and hearts. Her hair was tossed and scrambled like she just woke.

"Agreed," said man with courage. He wore a suit; his aura beamed of professionalism, but he looked exhausted from a long day of work. The other knew better than to be fooled by his appearance, underneath he burned for action.

"You have been apprised of the incident?" asked Tk.

"Of course," said an old woman with an unusual crest. A rainbow right above a tree that stood on a cloud was engraved on her chair. She looked straight Tk, "Yet, Hikari has yet to recover?" her long flowery dress creased like her face.

"No, we cannot depend on her; it is too risky," said Tk.

"I can't believe those two were capable of such cruelty, and to think, they used to be one of us," said the kind man. He wore a pair of slacks, and a t-shirt. A very calm man, he would let the world take care of itself rather than force his opinions above it.

"How do you propose we deal with this?" said one who extended friendship to all.

"I don't know. We are stronger apprised than we used to be; however, without Hikari we are far weaker than them," stated Takeru, shamefully staring down at his hands.

"There is no way she can channel the power of the Ancients without any memory of them," said Hiromitsu.

"We cannot force her," said the woman of love. She brushed her hair back behind her ear, her eyes filled with concern.

"I guess that we'll have to do without her," said an Air Dramon standing behind the child of sincerity. He flexed his back revealing his true height.

"Then it will be an uphill battle." said Tk. "And I'm not so sure that we'll reach the top."

Top of Form


	2. Memories

Disclaimer- I don't own Digimon or the characters. I do claim this plot and any original characters.

The Immortal Ones  
Ch. 2 _Memories_

Skyscrapers, large buildings under construction and thousands of vehicles covered the city of Odaiba. The birds nested in every nook and cranny that was available, small parks housed the homeless, playful children and parents that desperately tried to collect their children for home. The sun set filled the once blue sky with purple, orange, red and gray. At home, teenagers were studying hard for exams, or pretending to study for the satisfaction of their parents. However, one would just sit by her window, and stare into the sky.

'Where are you Tk?' Kari thought. It was Wednesday, six pm sharp, and she had no interest in eating, homework or any other possibly exciting activity. Everyone was worried, Ms. Takaishi panicked as soon as she realized her son was gone. Kari's mother had organized a search party, and provided refreshments for everyone during the grueling night searches. For the last two weeks there had been no sign of him anywhere; Kari feared the worst.

Gatomon did her best to comfort her digital partner, but words weren't enough. "Why aren't you doing your math homework? It's not that hard is it?" she asked.

"No, I'm thinking about TK." Kari answered, "Why would he run away, and why would Patamon go to?" She turned to the Digimon, who was sitting next to the cat.

"I don't know Kari, but you're not going to find out by staring into the sky." said Gatomon. "Just relax; everything will solve itself within its own time." She smiled behind those whiskers and jumped on to the bed to curl into a ball.

"Your right Gatomon." Kari said, and she turned to her desk in order to finish her homework.

_Death spread like a plague across the field of battle. Digimon of all kinds quickly disappeared into streams of data. Good Digimon were fighting a losing battle against black forces of evil Digimon and their masters. The forest around them set on fire. Rain was pouring down from the sky along with the powerful attacks of an Airdramon._

_There were ten human figures battling alongside the good Digimon. She could not really tell what they looked like, but she could tell that they were skilled beyond what she could possibly imagine, faster and stronger than the Digimon themselves. One in gray even lifted up a Garudamon just to help him avoid a dangerous attack from a Darktyrannamon, taking the blow himself, and coming out without a single scratch. Another, crouched over a tiny cane, blasted huge streams of green light out of her left hand that eradicated every evil creature on contact._

_"We cannot hold out for long Chikato. Even we get tired at a point!" a woman with the crest of love yelled to a man with the crest of courage._

_"I know that Homina," he responded with the sound of sarcasm in his voice._

_Then her attention was turned to another pair of humans. They were defending a small group of Pabumon. "Look out Hiromitsu!" yelled a child, with the crest of sincerity; while pointing at the evil Digimon who were just about to destroy some Pabumon behind the man with the crest of friendship._

_The man immediately turned around and sliced off the heads of three Kerramon with his pudao1. "Thanks Saki." he yelled loudly._

_Then a hand reached out and pulled her shoulder back. Kari wanted to scream but she was not controlling the body she was in. A deep voice came from the direction the hand. He said, "Hikari we're pulling back the Digimon can't take anymore fighting. We are struggling in a lost battle."_

_Then Kari turned around- she was stunned, it was Tk. He seemed somewhat drained and pale, wearing a long sleeved green shirt and a strange white hat, but he was still her Tk. Looking around herself, she noticed the number of Digimon apparently fighting on her side started to decrease. The line they formed to defend themselves was broken. As she looked closer towards the line, she saw the real reason why they were losing._

_The other side had two human-like creatures leading the evil Digimon. Both of them were far more powerful than the ten others. They used black swords to carry out their gruesome acts. One cut the legs off a Garurumon first forcing the poor creature to kneel before him. The other murdered the poor creature before it could cry out in pain. They ripped through the front lines like a knife through butter. The body parts of a Gremon transformed into streams of data little by little and disappeared out of sight. They looked angry, murderous, and somewhat relieved at killing other creatures._

Horrified, Kari started screaming. She couldn't scream with her mouth, but in her mind it was loud.

"Kari, Kari wake up." Gatomon said, worried. She heard Kari scream and tried to wake her up. She started to worry after shaking a couple of times. Tai suddenly jumped down from his bunk, "What's wrong?" he asked, panic laced in his voice.

"She won't wake up," Gatomon answered. Then suddenly, as if by magic, Kari just opened her eyes and began to cry.

"It was horrible," she cried.

"What! What was so horrible?" asked Tai. He woke up to the horrific noise thinking the worst. Ever since Tk disappeared, Kari had become very distant and depressed. She sat on the bed with a thin layer of glistening sweat. The tears rolled down her face sparkling like diamonds.

"Digimon, were killed in some sort of battle. They were slaughtered like cows," she cried into Tai's white T-shirt. He hugged her wondering what happened.

Digital World

Tk stood in the barren wasteland that had become yet another battlefield. Unlike humans, Digimon did not leave corpses, but the devastation of the land did not disappear like the digital creatures. The once beautiful island that was covered in vegetation was now a black sea of ashes.

As he walked through the terrain, he could not help but think of his memories there.

"_Do you, Takeru Takaishi swear to bond your life, soul and heart to Hikari Kamiya as her mate for all eternity?" asked the small, blue skinned monk. He smiled at the woman across the pedestal. _

"_I swear." Affection filled his voice. He stared lovingly into Hikari's chestnut eyes. _

"_Then do you, Hikari Kamiya swear to bond your life, soul and heart to Takeru Takaishi as his mate for all of eternity?" the monk spoke again. _

_Hikari glanced at the creature whose head just reached her waist. "I swear," she looked back at Takeru, "for all eternity." She moved closer to Takeru and wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his chest, "I love you."_

_He gently lifted her chin towards his face, "I love you too." There they embraced each other for the first time as husband and wife._

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	3. The Plot Unfolds

Disclaimer- I do not own Digimon or anything commercially related to the show. I do own the plot, the rivaling powers of conflict and anything that seems original.

The Immortal Ones  
Ch. 3 _The Plot Unfolds_

In a dark ominous castle far past the reaches of any normal Digimon, creatures of darkness brooded over a game of Terbál. Woodmon reached over and grabbed the eight sided die. "15! Another win for me" he shouted while the other players punched the closest object in anger as they passed over pieces of their dinner. They each grumbled over the loss, and so, in hope of regaining the loss they placed more bets.

Beyond the wall the two figures stared down at five dark and powerful digimon. "Welcome gentlemen." The Digimon just looked to each other, making sure they were not hallucinating in the depths of hell.

"You need not concern yourself here; we simply have a proposition for you." This time the female spoke. The Digimon looked less confused, propositions were something that all evil creatures dealt with; it meant that they were needed for a special purpose and not at risk.

Piedmon spoke first, "We're grateful that you resurrected us, and I'm sure all of us will agree that a proposition from such powerful beings would definitely be of interest." The others nodded; indeed it would most likely be in their favor considering one couldn't do worse than be dead.

"Very well," said the man, "We want you to take over the Digital World."

The Digimon stared at the couple incredulously; it was something they planned anyway, regardless of their so called deaths.

The woman noticed their confusion, "You're wondering what we want aren't you?" she smiled, "It is simple really, we want revenge and ruining the Digital World would be a step towards our goal. In exchange for taking over the Digital world, the five of you must send your forces to the Real World. I'm sure you wouldn't mind though; after all I'm offering you shared ownership of two worlds." With this the Digimon understood perfectly. Vengeance, hatred and pain were their specialties, victims of it as young rookies and enforcers of it before their untimely demise.

Seeing that there was nothing more to be said, Piedmon bowed in a grandiose yet mocking manner "In that case, I best be off," and so he disappeared like a magician from a stage. The others likewise slightly bowed out of respect and thanks, though just enough to make a gesture rather that lose their own pride by actually showing true submission to another. Each flew off to wherever they wished to begin this new campaign on the worlds, knowing that they had the support of the two most powerful beings that had walked the realm.

Naturally Malomyotismon was indeed quite powerful already, and felt little need for an army, but still, better safe than sorry; at least that is what he had learned after his encounters with the Digi-Destined. It was indeed lucky for him to arise again, for now he would raise an army and have his revenge, and when the time came he would turn against his allies and rule both worlds. Of course, that was what every one of them was thinking during that proposal; they are evil Digimon after all.

Beyond him was Piedmon who left the gathering first. Piedmon just wanted revenge against MagnaAngemon for sucking him into that hole. Small dark places were hardly his favorite thing and it completely ruined his plans. All he wanted was to make the Digital World fun for him. It was boring the way it was, not enough clowns, yet MagnaAngemon had the gall to attack him and defeat him and that was no way to treat a clown.

Daemon was rather annoyed at being summoned back to the Digital World. He was the only one who didn't actually die from an encounter with the Digi-Destined, merely imprisoned in the world of the Dark Ocean. He had enjoyed taking over the realm and killing the militant who ruled it as the Emperor. The idea of taking over the Digital World seemed less intriguing if he could only have one fourth of it. Yet, it was something to do, the pathetic shadow creatures from the Dark Ocean didn't seem to understand the basic rules of fighting for entertainment. Instead they slinked up on each other and simply died in a second, Daemon couldn't really tell how one defeated the other, but didn't care after witnessing it a dozen times.

Finally there was Devimon, the lowest level of them all. However due to his intelligence he stood out among the rest of them, and was welcomed back to living. It wasn't as if he wanted the Digital world, unlike the others, he knew that if they succeeded each would plot against the other to fully rule the realm. As smart as he was, it did not make up for the lack of raw power. However, that problem could be solved, if those two were so powerful, who ever crossed them must have been equally strong and he would find some way to take that power. Plotting was indeed his favorite past time, now all he needed was some fools to follow him for the promise of glory and power.

In the real world, Tk had been missing for six months, and nearly everyone had given up hope. Some thought he ran away, others thought he was kidnapped, the Digi-Destined thought perhaps he had been trapped in the Digital world, since the gate had been sealed since his disappearance. Still Kari refused to give in, though her hope had begun to dwindle.

Kari sighed as she ceased typing on her pink laptop. Her desk was covered in missing-person posters and cards, and on the screen was yet another letter to the local newspaper, pleading them to place Tk's picture on once more.

"Kari, you have to stop. You've done enough." said Gatomon, who was lying on the bed next to her. She could care less about that selfish bastard that didn't even bother to say goodbye; her concern was for the girl who stayed up at all hours working on posters and calling strangers in hopes of finding her best friend. More recently she had gone out late at night hoping to run into him by some coincidence or luck, in her heart, Kari wished that Tk simply hit his head somewhere and had gotten a case of amnesia; at least he'd be safe and perhaps return.

"We can't give up hope Gatomon, Tk wouldn't." she replied, returning to the three page letter.

"C'mon Kari, give up, he's not coming back." Gatomon huffed and jumped onto the human's shoulder.

She slammed her fist on the table, "No! I won't believe that!" Tears began welling up in her eyes as she turned away from Gatomon. Staring down into her lap, she thought of Tk. She could just imagine him telling her those stupid jokes that always made her laugh, staying up to cram for tests with her, sharing math answers over the phone, how he always was there when she needed comfort for any reason, and reminding her to never give up hope. She would have given anything just to feel his arms wrapping around her in a comforting hug telling her that everything was going to be fine.

She never noticed how much she relied on him, how she really felt. It was as if something was missing, a part of her had ripped itself off and traveled off to God knows where. He couldn't be gone forever, because it would mean that she'd never get to see him again, never let him know how she felt, never give her a second chance.

A loud crash followed by Tai's shouting brought her back to reality. He seemed extremely excited, "We've found Gennai." Finally news about the digital world; maybe, just maybe, _He_ was there.

Tai was glad to see his sister smile, since that brat's disappearance, she secluded herself from the world. She refused to hang out with other friends, instead opting to go police stations in search for information, she even dropped photography club and that smile, that serene, innocent smile had disappeared from her face. He secretly hoped the blonde was dead; at least that way the boy would have some sort of excuse. If, by any chance, he was still alive – he wouldn't be for long.

Everyone gathered in Koushiro's apartment. The anticipation was agonizing; they wanted to know what was going on. At last, someone knocked on the door.

"Hi," said Mimi as she walked into the apartment. Everyone greeted her in return, some by nodding, others with waves, some muttered unintelligible words – all in all it was pretty depressing.

"So, what are we doing here Koushiro and what brings you here Gennai?" Tai asked, impatient to leave to do something more productive.

"The digital gates have been sealed for the last six months" He started.

"Tell us something we don't know!" Daisuke shouted; it seemed that Tai's anxiety had also rubbed off on the teen. A wave a fear struck him as an aura of killing intent overcame the room; the others were glaring at him with contempt.

Noticing the change in atmosphere, the young Gennai cleared his throat and continued, "Over the last few months, the digital world has been systematically destroyed by your former enemies." The air calmed and an eerie silence overtook them, the news was by no means unexpected, it was simply that they had hoped for something other than the worst.

Both Tai and Daisuke stood up only to be stopped by Gennai, "You may be strong, but you are not meant to fight in this war." Everyone stared at him confused; they were the Digi-Destined, those who protected the Real and Digital worlds, so how could they not be the ones to save it?

Gennai looked at them knowingly, "I know what you're thinking, but the truth is that I'm not sure if you could handle it." He drew in a breath, "There was once a group, much like yourselves, that fought to protect the worlds. They were powerful, far beyond what we can currently imagine for they lived in the age of Titans. Instead of relying on Digimon, they fought; risking life and limb to protect the worlds, and it would have remained so for eternity."

"What happened?" Mimi asked curiously.

Gennai continued, "Legend has it that they were betrayed by their own, the greatest war in history ensued, and after the devastation was averted, they decided to entrust the duty of guarding the two worlds to children, in hopes that their innocence and love would never be tainted by greed or time. And that is how you became the digi-destined." He smiled at the end, glad that he had the chance to work with those chosen by the immortal guardians. "In any case, our true enemy appears to be the ones they sealed away so long ago, the betrayers that they could not destroy."

Then Yamato stood up, angry, "Isn't there anyway to get those people to come back and seal them again?"

"They're trying to," Gennai confirmed. "But it's not succeeding because they're a member short." He sighed, "While I did say that you weren't meant to fight in this war, the truth is that you have to anyway, as the last defense for both worlds."

Everyone stared at him; did that mean those immortal guardians failed?

Kari wanted more than that; she had to know if Tk was in there. It was selfish to be thinking about only her friend while talking about a major war, but she couldn't help it. The emptiness of separation had been eating at her for too long. "Gennai" she popped in while he was talking to Jyou about what he observed while trapped in the Digital World.

The man turned his attention to her, "He's there," he stated before she asked. He had heard about her endless search.

She grabbed him by the shoulders, "WHERE? Is he alright?" she shouted.

Gennai could only shake his head, "All he said to me before I left was 'Tell her I'm sorry.'".

Kari was panicked now, Gennai didn't know if Tk was still unharmed or even alive now. All her effort to find him in the real world had gone to waste and all she had left was the empty feeling eating away at her chest. She could only assume he was apologizing for leaving so abruptly, which only led to her to believe that he thought her unworthy. With the last thought, she began crying. Sora, Mimi and Yolie were forced to stop her tears as it was spreading in the form of anger among the males. They did their best to comfort her, as Tai, Daisuke, and Yamato began cursing the deserter.

Finally Koushiro spoke up, "Do you know why he was there in the first place?"

Gennai responded, "He was the one who opened the gate for me, I can only assume that he is one of the original guardians."

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	4. Homecoming

Disclaimer – I don't own Digimon.

The Immortal Ones  
Ch. 5_ Homecoming_

Daemon looked out into the newly conquered area pleased with his own work. For now it was nothing more than a wasteland, but it was _his_ wasteland, a place that he had conquered at the small price of a few thousand digital monsters. The land itself had been mutilated beyond recognition. All plant life had been destroyed and only a large mud puddle stood where a lake had once been. The temple that once was in the middle of the lake had become the headquarters of his increasingly powerful army.

"Pathetic, this is not enough." murmured Daemon too his second in command.

"Of course not sir, however, the destruction of the sacred grounds brings us closer to completing our objective." said the Vilemon as he looked down on the remains of the latest victory contemplating whether or not to keep one of the weaker rookie prisoners as a pet.

Suddenly, the scenery before him changed, Daemon had warped them to another battlefield. Vilemon could make out lightning flashes of different colors, surely various attacks from his allies and enemies.

"Let us see how our comrades are doing," Daemon smiled maliciously.

Angemon dodged the blow from a winged bear-like Relcukmon. His body was covered in black fur and red stripes. The wings were blood red, and in his razor sharp claws there was a large axe.

The Relcukmon flew toward Angemon with mach speed. He prepared his axe and attempted to slice Angemon in half. Angemon blocked the axe with his staff, but he was slammed backward from the force of the blow. Stopping himself from going too far, he countered by slamming his staff on top of Relcukmon's head. This split the skull of the bear and caused him to swear before turning into a stream of data.

But before Angemon could catch a breath, another Digimon flew up and attacked him. A Cerasimon had slashed his arm with a scythe. The Digimon, another ultimate, appeared to be a bat type with strange likeness to harpy. A cloth over her mouth concealed her degraded face. Angemon shuddered at what he knew what was under the cloth on her face. She waved her scythe proudly to his face, taunting him, daring him to come after her.

Angemon kept a neutral stare at her. He lunged at her with his staff. Nimbly dodging the blow the Cerasimon countered with another slash with her scythe. He could feel his own blood trickle down his back. He decided to do something new, so he lunged once again. The Cerasimon noticed this repeated move and dodged again. This time Angemon pulled the staff back and gave her a powerful punch in the face. The Cerasimon then began turning into a stream of data. A squishy gurgle was the last noise from its horribly deformed mouth.

Then a voice came from behind Angemon. "Well done." The low voice sounded frighteningly familiar.

Whirling around, Angemon's neutral smile turned into a concerned frown. "Devimon" he acknowledged.

"You defeated me once, you won't do it again." Devimon snarled at him.

"We'll see about that." Angemon replied, swinging the staff at his new opponent.

Devimon was prepared and easily deflected the blow. He launched a dark globe at Angemon blowing him back onto the ground. Seeing that he could not win the battle as Angemon, he digi-volved to MagnaAngmon. MagnaAngemon slashed Devimon in the shoulder drawing out a lot of blood. Devimon howled in pain, but was undaunted.

"Darkness Wave" Devimon shouted. A great dark wave came from his hands. Magna Angemon was engulfed within the beam and slowly disintegrated into data.

Devimon laughed as the angel Digimon disappeared inside the dark globe.

Immediately after, the horn of retreat blew through the entire plain of battle, and Angemon's followers escaped the field by any means they could.

Takeru shot up from his bed, his skin glistened with cold sweat left from his most recent nightmare. Now lately he had been more stressed than ever. Since the defeat of Angemon, the Digimon had been losing hope, and one by one the Ancients fell. Now he was the last. The only one left to defend the digital world. In less than a month, Shinshou and Namiyo had already conquered the Digital world, and Tk was running out of places to run.

TK got up out of his bed. '_I am such a coward. Here I am hiding in a cave after watching my friends fall one by one. Maybe I should just rot here and wait for the end_.' His thoughts returned to the moment; giving up meant the lives of everyone he loved, including Hikari's.

He needed to do something, fighting alone was just a waste of his life, but what option was left now. He grabbed the picture under his pillow, a little memento from his days with his Earthly friends.

It was time to tell the Digi-Destined the truth. He went to the Digital Portal and disappeared in a flash of light.

Nakane Takaishi sat on her son's bed, holding a small teddy bear that had been his when he was younger. There were some bald spots, and one of its eyes had disappeared, but when it was in her hands it felt as if Takeru had come home, that any time now he would walk through that door and demanding to know why she was in his room.

Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room. Nakane attempted to stand, only to be gently pushed back onto the bed. Panic ran down her spine it could be a murderer, rapist, even the kidnapper who took her Takeru.

She gasped as she slowly made out messy blonde hair and a familiar face. Takeru weakly smiled at her, glad to be home.

Nakane was frozen; he was home, standing in front of her after eight grueling months. At first she just wanted to grab him into a hug, but drew back, he just returned from some unknown place with that cocky smirk like nothing happened.

"TAKERU TAKAISHI WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!" she suddenly stood up, successfully knocking him over.

The teen looked away, unable to make eye contact with the woman he called mother for sixteen years. "I, uh…" he stuttered.

She grabbed his ear and pulled him into the living room. "You are going to call up poor Kari and apologize to her, and then we'll talk about punishment." Nakane Takaishi, the ever sensible mother.

He was nervous, hell, rivers of cold sweat were running down his face. There he stood in front of the Kamiya's apartment, trying to bring up the nerve to knock. _'Oh God what am I going to say,'_ his thoughts flashed to a beautiful brunette who was on the other side, the girl who would tease him about his hobbies or unusual habits, the girl who always managed to bring a smile onto his face.

Takeru shook his head, now was not a time to reminisce. He needed her help – no, their help.

He knocked.

Maybe this was a bad idea; maybe they couldn't help and he was just asking them to risk their lives with no hope of victory; maybe she didn't want to see him again. He turned to leave hoping that the apartment's occupants didn't hear his request to enter, or at least ignored it.

"Don't you dare leave now," an angry Tai growled at the blonde.

Takeru turned to face him, "Did you call everyone like I asked?" he nonchalantly replied, he needed to be the battle hardened warrior now – there was no room for love in war.

"See for yourself," Tai grabbed the blonde and dragged him into the living room.

The Digi-destined teens looked up as Tai entered with their missing teammate.

"So it's true," Mimi stated, "you really are back." Takeru could only nod as he noticed one person in the room was on the couch, concentrating very hard on moving images on the television.

"What do you want?" Davis didn't bother to hide the hostility in his voice.

Straight to the point; what he lacked in tact, Davis made up with passion.

Takeru cleared his throat, "Tai has probably told you who I am." The group nodded, though Kari was still glued to the soundless cartoon. "Well, I am hoping for your full cooperation in vanquishing the evil that has taken over the Digital World."

'_Brilliant Tk, that'll convince them.' _

"You've got to be kidding," the voice was barely audible.

Takeru looked at the speaker as she slowly turned her head and stood up.

"You can't expect us to just help you after disappearing like that!" She was angry, very very angry.

"I had to; I didn't want to get you involved!" Takeru knew he was at fault, but couldn't let his pride go, not like that.

"But you're doing it now."

"I can't do it alone," he was frustrated; why couldn't she understand?

"Alright, what happened to your team, your other Ancient friends?" She wanted to slap him for leaving her there, alone.

"They're dead," Takeru took in a deep breath, taking on a stern look.

Kari didn't want to let it go, "If they couldn't do it, what makes you think we can?"

He couldn't take it anymore and simply sat down onto the coffee table. Rubbing his fingers on his forehead in an effort to prevent his tears, "I don't know."

Kari suddenly felt guilty. Tk obviously came here as a last resort. She had no idea what happened to his other allies, nor did she really know what he had faced for the last eight months, but she was sure it wasn't pleasant.

"Where's Patamon." Gatomon asked, sure that the quarrel was over.

Takeru just looked at the cat with a sad expression, "I'm sorry kitten." He moved to pat the Digimon on the head.

The cat-like creature just brushed his hand away and ran to the balcony disappearing into the night.

The other Digimon and Digi-destined just stared and let the drama unfold before them. They had suspected something going on between the small orange fluff ball and cat for some time, but no one really paid attention.

Takeru just stared at his hand, feeling dejected and useless. It was his duty to fight alongside his partner and keep him safe. He was a failure and lost everything he loved.

No, he was not allowed to give up so simply. The Digi-destined were still there. There was still hope, even if they hated him. Takeru calmed himself again and stood up.

"Look, you are my last hope," He stared each of them down, making sure they understood the gravity of their circumstance. "I don't care that you're angry at me, hell you can hate me, but do not let your feelings get in the way of your duty."

The others just whispered to themselves in silent agreement.

Davis stood up, "Alright, I'll support you, but I have definitely not forgiven you." He looked to his old team as they stood up to pledge their aid as well.

The last to agree was Kari who simply nodded without making eye contact. "What do you want us to do?"

Please Review


	5. Acceptance

Disclaimer – I don't own Digimon. 

Ch. 5 _Acceptance_

It was well after the meeting. Takeru stayed longer hoping he could explain himself to Kari, only to have her slam her door in front him. Tai simply looked on shaking his head. 

The blonde took out a photo, 'I guess I don't have any right to keep this anymore' he sighed to himself. He placed it on the ground in front of the door before turning around and leaving. 

Tai watched him go. It was strange, he felt great that the boy got what he deserved from Kari, but at the same time he felt bad for him. He was sure that Kari didn't feel any better than the blonde either. 

He picked up the picture and knocked on her bedroom door, "Kari, he's gone now, may I come in?" 

A muffled noise that sounded something like 'go away' was all he got. Pretending that he misunderstood Tai walked into the room to see Kari curled up on her bed. 

"I thought I told you to go away," she rasped. Her eyes were swollen and red. 

"It's hard to hear you when you talk into a pillow." He joked and sat down next to his sister. 

"Get out!" she flung her pillow at him. 

Tai sighed, "He left this by the door." He stood up and left. 

Kari just lay there, refusing to acknowledge the item Tai placed next to her. He's the one who left it and he didn't deserve a second chance. Still, she felt horrible for yelling at him. 

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. 

She fell asleep trying to hate Takeru with all her heart. 

Gatomon scratched the window to Kari's room. Patamon's death was harsh and now her initial mourning time was over. Straying through the streets was rather dangerous for a little Digimon as herself and there was no doubt that the enemy had already sent scouts to the real world as a prelude to an invasion.

After five minutes of rapping on the window, she grew impatient and hopped over to the balcony. Hopefully, Tai was keeping up with his late night television habit and would let her in. 

Tai of course saw no reason to cease watching his favorite late night talk show just because Tk had shown and threatened everyone with impending doom. In fact, the brunette felt it was even more important to do the things he wanted since they could die the next few months. He noticed the white cat banging on the glass. He sighed, thinking to why she left.

"Thanks." Gatomon gruffly stated as Tai slid open the door. 

"How you holding up?" he asked.

"Digimon reincarnate, he'll be back when the Digital world is restored." She lied, knowing fully that Patamon would never return the way he was; he'd have no memories of her, of anyone in his past life. 

Tai saw the depressed look on her face and decided not to pry further, in time she would open up to someone. Hopefully, Kari would be wise enough to put aside her own troubles to comfort her partner. In the room, both had fallen asleep, letting their brains process the new information that had come to that day. 

The evil ancients watched their messengers finish defeating the last resistance in the Digital World. Shinshou and Namiyo, those were once their names, though no one really called them that anymore. For the most part they were known as "The Almighty Evil Ones," or more simply, "My Lord and Lady".

Namiyo was bored. Destroying all life in the Digital World was far from satisfying. No, what she wanted was to watch the others suffer, more so she wanted Takeru to suffer. That man who stabbed her in the back without a second thought. The more she thought about it, the more enraged she became, and suddenly the battle became something more interesting.

_I'll kill him_.

Shinshou looked over to his wife. It was hard to see her so angry and hateful. She used to be so loving and kind, but now there was nothing more than an empty shell of a woman who couldn't let go her past. He looked in the observation screen. 

_This battle is too cruel_. 

Despite his thoughts, he didn't want to stop it. So he just walked away, looking for something else to, maybe the guards were up for a little gambling. 

Takeru felt it, a large incursion through the wall between the Digital and Real World. 

_They've come. _

He jumped out of bed, grabbed his phone and flew out the door, not even bothering to get dressed.

Tai was unhappy; he had just gotten into bed before the blonde had called him to arrange a meeting. He walked over to Kari's door and knocked, "Get up, something's happened. Tk wants to meet in the park." 

The girl stirred, not quite sure what her brother was talking about. She was quite disturbed from her latest nightmares about people who wanted to destroy everything just so they could die. Now that she reflected on it, the dreams were nonsensical; dying could be done alone, why did they need everyone else to do so as well? 

Tai knocked again, and shouted louder, "We have to go now!" 

Kari groaned; she didn't want to see him again, especially not so soon. Flipping her covers she jumped out of bed and searched for some clothes on the ground. Gatomon who had fallen asleep on next to Kari had skillfully predicted her movements so she wouldn't get hurt in the morning ritual of half conscious grabbing of anything that looked like a garment. 

_Odd, I don't remember leaving this here_. 

Kari looked down at a crumpled picture of the Digi-Destined team. 

_Tk_

Tears welled up in her eyes, this was the picture she took and gave to him after their first encounter. 

_He kept this with him._

Kari sat on the ground, not quite sure what to do. She desperately wanted to be angry with him, to hate him, but she couldn't. Tk had helped her, protected her. He was her best friend. Of course he left her behind, not because he didn't trust her, but to keep her safe. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she loved him 

Tai grew impatient and just opened the door. He found his sister crying on the floor with the picture he left on her bed last night. Understanding, he wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. The others would have to update him later.

Notes – Check Bio for update progress.

Please R&R


	6. Last Adventure

The Immortal Ones

Chapter 6  
Last Adventure

The morning after Takeru received a most interesting call. Davis, in all his ignorance, wished to know the reason why two of the Ancients betrayed the others. In essence, he believed no one changed without cause. Feeling that the entire group deserved to know the truth behind the actions of his former companions, Takeru called yet another meeting between the Digi-destined and their partners. Gennai was invited as well. The old fool would pass on the long forgotten tale for generations to come.

They gathered at the meeting place within the hour; a few were somewhat angry at the morning phone call for a mandatory meeting. Neither of the Kamiya's appeared. The others simply dismissed it, as Tai had a reputation for his inability to process complex thoughts early in the morning, and Kari was most likely still upset.

At the same time, in the faraway lands where the dark ones ruled, Namiyo thought back to the reason why they had come to this regrettable action, her one and only son, Valis. He was, by all definitions, a miracle, because no immortals have had children before.

_He was such a good boy._

At first, everyone welcomed the birth. They were overjoyed that one more would join their ranks, and efforts were made to ensure his happiness for all time, there was nothing that they would not do for him.

However, even with all their knowledge, they did not know how to raise the boy. He grew up spoilt and cruel. Perhaps because no one punished him when he did wrong, perhaps it was because he had too much power for all his life, in any case the boy had many indiscretions. Every time, both Shinshou and Namiyo had not the heart to punish further than a verbal warning.

The issues came when the others could no longer stand by his actions; Valis was growing more violent with each incident. They knew he would soon cause something irreparable. They brought him to council and though all of them loved him, the immortals knew that he had to be taught a lesson.

After the next incident, they imposed him to live a lifetime as a mortal in one of the many planes the Ancients watched over.

At first, the parents could bear it. They hoped that a little time as a mortal would correct the boy of his ways, and someday he would return to their ranks. Still, Namiyo felt her heart ache every time Valis called out to her, pleading to return to his home.

As time passed, the boy grew up by human standards and became resentful for his imposed mortality, so he shared with the humans many destructive technologies. The people of that world soon became conquerors, fancying themselves as Gods. They enslaved others worlds, and wrought havoc on those who fought.

The immortal guardians had to take action. Knowledge was earned, not given. Such technology passed into hands of those who did not recognize the consequences would not only destroy themselves, but others around it.

Takeru offered his solution, destroy the world and its entire people, including Valis.

Namiyo sighed at the distant memories. He did not deserve such a fate. Yes, it was all Takeru's fault. His sins were far greater than her son's, yet he still lived and the boy was gone.

Shinshou caught his lover staring out the window into the clouded sky. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered to her the future which Takeru would share their pain and understand.

A month passed while the Digi-destined prepared for the onslaught of evil. Takeru had set up a digital transportation system to make up for the closed Digital portals. However, there were limits to what he could do with humanity's technology.

The fiber optic cables that made up Japan's internet could only transport a human being for about one hundred kilometers before significant data loss would affect the body. Still, most felt it was better to be safe than sorry so they limited the transport to about eighty kilometers.

Many of the world's various Digi-destined children managed to find some way to get into Japan during the long wait. Most were contacted indirectly through a pyramid of phone calls and online forums. A few of them felt the power gathering in the center of Odaiba and found their comrades during investigation. All of them united to save the World once more.

Hikari went along with her small group in whatever they planned. It had been a difficult month and as much as she wanted to see Takeru, to apologize for her behavior, to tell him that she loved him, she was unable to get him alone. He was avoiding her. She felt a little angry at this reaction, but it was expected. The brunette made it clear that night that she did not wish to associate with him any longer, though she greatly regretted it now.

Takeru was setting up various portholes around the city when he felt a great incursion into their space. This was quite troubling. Before this moment, there had been many small scouts that crossed the realms, but their presence were so insignificant that he simply ignored them, scouts were not created for combat after all. However, now he felt a great mass as the Digital Field lines fluxed. It was coming from the western part of the city, near a well-known park. Takeru panicked, there were many families in that park and he had no wish to see their dead bodies sprawled across buildings and streets.

Immediately he pulled out a cell phone and called Izzy. They had set up a phone tree before for any important events, and now it was paying off.

The groups approached ground zero of the invasion, only to see a great army marching down a nearby freeway. At the head were the four leaders of the Dark army. Each one seemed larger than ever before. Takeru assumed it was another intimidation tactic to make them lose heart, and from looking around at his allies, it worked.

Below them, in the center of the mass, the traitors sat on a huge tank dragged by poor digital slaves captured during their conquest. They trudged along the asphalt, cracking everything that passed beneath their feet. The snap of the slave-driver's whip broke more than just their backs, but their souls. The blood from their cracked skins dripped like rain onto the ground; it was a wonder that they could move at all.

Takeru began the attack. First, the Digi-destined were ordered to collapse the surrounding high rises into the marching army. The kids were told the buildings were empty, but no one knew for sure. The large concrete blocks fell into the hordes, crushing many and wounding more from falling debris.

Some of the evil Digimon tried to run, only to be picked off by Takeru's allies who waited a small distance from the freeway. Many of them struggled to reform, but the terrain was unfavorable for the large creatures. They could crush trees in jungles and fight in great deserts, but in an urbanized area, their size only hampered movement.

The four dark masters saw the confusion of their army. This time the rival Digimon were more powerful than the rabble forces they faced before. The children coordinated through radios, and the Digimon were forewarned of any dangers. Piedmon quickly shouted at his troops to reform, go into defensive positions and turn the tide in this onslaught.

Takeru entered the column to fight the dark army. Angewoman traveled with him on Hikari's orders. The girl would not let him die before revealing her feelings.

He summoned a great sword and began slashing at his opponents on this battlefield. He sliced through a Devidramon then a MasterTyrannomon. They were fairly easy opponents compared to the Dark Masters. Takeru was grateful for the lack of blood. Fighting got harder when the red stuff splashed everywhere, especially when it got into the eyes.

Angewoman covered him from the air, shooting at any potential threats in her view. To her left she saw yet another one of their allies die. She was sure the child who partnered with that DIgimon was crying. They had been warned though, the Digimon would not return as they did in the past; the recycling program had been shut down, so there was no way for the poor soul to be reincarnated. The only ones who would come back in any form were the Immortal ones, as they could not cease to exist like most beings.

Off in the distance, the two immortals on the great tank just watched in boredom. They did not care if their generals won or lost, what was important was to make Takeru suffer a loss as great as theirs. Shinshou looked around the area and spotted a small park to the southwest. Nudging Namiyo, he pointed out the small green patch and motioned for her to follow.

They got to the small park and wandered around. This was a rare piece of tranquility amongst the screams of pain and war. Sighing, Namiyo's thoughts returned to happier times when the group would travel together in the lush woods or green plains of the different realms. Those were well earned vacations from their usual duties.

A woman approached them, screaming for them to leave. She threw things at them and began moving towards the entrance of the park. It wasn't hard to tell that she was trying to lead them away from something she deemed important. Shinshou became annoyed when a rock she threw finally hit his head.

He waved his hand causing her to explode in a shower of blood. It was a very ghastly site. Namiyo heard a loud scream to their right after the woman died. Apparently, she was trying to lead them away from the children hiding behind playground equipment.

This would be an experience; they had killed millions if not billions of Digimon, but had never had the opportunity to move on to a human world. Shinshou moved towards the children with a smile on his face.

Takeru was sure to be angry if they hurt these children. Ah, perhaps they should capture them first and kill them in front of the one they hated. Namiyo smiled, vengeance was cruel, but could be quite enjoyable.

Shinshou grabbed one, and flung the young girl over his shoulder to carry her back to the tank. A boy jumped out and did his best to attack the immortal. Namiyo simply grabbed his collar, lifted him off the floor, and glared.

She suddenly screamed, dropped him, and fell back in shock. Shinshou looked at her curiously, as if trying to ask what was wrong.

His mate just stared at the little boy, who was on the ground crying. He looked so much like their lost son. Their species did look very similar after all. With Earth's large population, it wasn't improbable for this to happen. However, for the first time the thought dawned on him.

_These humans were losing their children in this quest for vengeance. _

No, the two couldn't go back now. They knew from the beginning that many would suffer, that was the point of this war. But they had never thought that it would be like killing Valis again. This was not fair. They couldn't do it.

Shinshou just put the girl back on the ground and lifted his lover up, "Come now, we've already gone too far to go back" Instead of capturing the children, he just waved his hands; they laid down on the ground and slept, unable to wake up for eternity. At least it was a peaceful way to go compared to the mother.

Not wanting to see more, Namiyo returned to the tank where the fighting was slowly dying down. It seems that their army was lost and their dark generals had already left the field. It was expected, those generals were cowards who left others to do their work. Perhaps one day they would return to be defeated by another set of children, perhaps they would be triumphant. Though Namiyo knew that ruling the Digital world was impossible for those Digimon.

She saw Takeru fighting. For once, she could see why he continued to fight, why all her former friends stood against her. What she wouldn't give turn back time. It was too late now, and she could do nothing to make up for the damage the two had caused.

The army of Digi-destined with their partners finally made it to the center of the column where the Tainted Immortals waited. Many of the Digimon glared at the two while preparing to unleash their most deadly attacks.

Shinshou and Namiyo just stared at them; this had lasted much shorter than they had hoped. Still, somewhere inside both felt grateful that this nightmare would end soon. This time, Takeru had to kill them; he did not have enough power to imprison them. They would die, be remade and reborn on the Earth as another point of view. The hate would go away, the sadness, the pain; all of it would be forgotten like old kingdoms.

The blonde decapitated the last of the evil Digimon who did not retreat. He looked over at the tank and ordered the Digimon not to attack. Many got angry, but he just ignored their protests. Approaching the pair himself he spoke, "This is the end."

Shinshou smiled, "How cliché."

Takeru frowned and lifted up his sword. The other two did the same. They would die, but not without a good fight. After all, it was their last will to make the blonde man suffer.

Namiyo covered her weapon with a dark flame and began attacking. Takeru was barely able to dodge the quick attacks. He shouted for everyone to get away to a safe distance. The Digi-destined understood why when Shinshou launched a large electric blast at the two fighting. Everyone was shocked as his disregard for his partner's safety.

Takeru knew that desperation was what drove the two now. They really wanted to die, but apparently not without taking a few people with them. He sighed at their selfishness. The two would never change.

Angewoman chose to enter the battle at that moment. Expertly choosing her marks, she managed to disable Namiyo's sword arm. However, suddenly a flash of light blinded her before she was hit by another energy attack from Shinshou. She crashed to the ground, but was unhurt from the impact; a wing was badly singed from the attack.

Shinshou searched their immediate surroundings.

_Where is she?_

He knew, wherever Takeru was, Hikari would be nearby. Their bond was as close as his own with Namiyo. Looking over once more, he spotted a brown-haired girl running up the ruins of an old apartment complex. He managed to teleport to her, grab her and teleport back to taunt his enemy.

"Kari!" Takeru froze, afraid that any action would cause the girl harm.

Namiyo frowned at blatant shock and fear that appeared on the teenager's face, "It seems she's already died once." She wasn't the same Hikari they knew and not the one that Takeru loved so long ago. The twisted woman studied her opponent; Takeru's face was covered with concern and maybe a hint of pain. It seemed that he still loved her regardless.

Satisfied with the reaction, she grabbed the girl by the hair and forced her on her knees. Then Namiyo lifted her sword and prepared to kill Hikari. Shinshou stood by her side, prepared to block any potential attack from Angewoman.

Before the sword could descend, Takeru transported himself right in front of it in an extremely risky maneuver. The transportation had little chance of success given the size of the target space and the risk of being melded with a foreign object.

Luckily the transportation was successful in that he stopped the burning blade from severing the head of his most precious person. Unfortunately, his arm had merged with the blade and it was unbearably painful.

Kari screamed and fainted. Angewoman decided to shower the small group with arrows while Takeru was still trying to separate his arm from the weapon while fighting Namiyo. Shinshou busied himself with catching most of the arrows meant for him and his partner.

If it were not such an ominous atmosphere, any observer could watch with laughter. The fighting had stalemated. Takeru finally reformed part of his arm, but the energy it took was taking its toll on his body. They would lose at this rate.

He looked down at Hikari while parrying attacks from Namiyo.

_Maybe if I can awaken her abilities. I have no choice now._

Using the last bit of his power, he formed a crystal shaped flame in his hand and let it fly into Hikari. The young girl gasped suddenly and shot up. She screamed in pain and clutched her head, trying to fight off a flood of information bombarding her mind. The blonde whispered an apology, more for himself than the poor girl next to him.

Namiyo noticed the change, and doubled the ferocity of her attacks. She had no experience in immortal awakenings, but knew it was not a good sign for her. Kari suddenly stood up, her eyes flashed red before returning to hazel and a long scythe appeared in her hand.

Everyone just stared at her in shock for a moment. None of them had seen her use that particular weapon before. They soon returned to reality when she glided to Namiyo before cleaning slicing off the Immortal's head. Shinshou shouted in anger and turned his attention to her. This time Takeru was able to disable him before Kari decapitated him as well.

Now the pair sat on the ruins of the battlefield waiting for aid to arrive. Takeru looked at Hikari apologetically, "I didn't want to put you through that."

She shook her head, "Its fine now, the headache is gone," she giggled.

"Look, I…" Takeru felt her finger silencing his lips.

"It's alright now. I forgive you for everything Tk, plus you have the rest of eternity to make it up to me." She smiled again when she saw Takeru frown. Oh, she would have so much fun with his punishment.

The End

Author's Note: It's an open ending, because I just don't care anymore. I really didn't want to write this last bit, hence why it took so long. At least the main plot is wrapped up, and you get a nice playful Takari piece. The rest of it is really up to your imagination. I personally prefer to think that she made him dress in a maid outfit and ordered him to address her as goshujin-sama (for those of you who don't get it, this is a reference to the maid fetish).

Still, I hope at least you all enjoyed it (Reviews would be nice if you did and if you didn't, I don't see why you made it this far).


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